Steam-dry travel iron

ABSTRACT

AN ELECTRIC STEAM-DRY TRAVEL IRON HAVING NO SEPARABLE COMPONENTS THAT MUST BE ASSEMBLED OR REMOVED BETWEEN STORAGE AND OPERATING CONDITIONS EITHER DRY OR WITH STEAM, PARTICULARLY A LOW SIHOUETTE HANDLE SOLID IN APPERAANCE HAVING A WIDE CONVEXLY CROWNED TOP WALL AND CONTOURED SIDE WALLS INCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE FINGER RECEIVING TROUGHS BETWEEN ENLARGED UPPER GRIP RIMS AND ENLARGED LOWER LIPS THAT PROTECTIVELY OVERLIE THE METALLIC CASING OF THE IRON, THE HANDLE ACTUALLY BEING HOLLOW AND DEFINING A WATER RESERVOIR WITH A FILL OPENING RELEASABLY CLOSED BY A CLOSURE CAP HINGED TO THE HANDLE AND WITH A ROTATABLE STEAM SELECTOR KNOB MOUNTED IN THE CLOSURE CAP, THE HANDLE HEEL AND IRON CASING BEING GENERALLY COPLANAR TO PROVIDE A SUPPORT FOR THE IRON IN ITS NON-OPERATING UPRIGHT POSITION, AND A 100 OR 220 VOLTAGE SELECTION SWITCH RECESSED IN TE HANDLE HEEL. WITH INCREASED USE OF PERMANENT PRESS GARMENTS, THERE IS AN INCREASING DEMAND FOR AN ALL-PURPOSE STEAM AND/OR DRY IRON WHICH MIGHT BE SMALL AND LIGHTWEIGHT ENOUGH TO SERVE AS A TOUGH-UP TRAVEL IRON. TRAVEL IRONS TYPICALLY HAVE REQUIRED COLLAPSIBLE PORTIONS SUCH AS THE HANDLE, OR DETACHABLE PORTIONS SUCH AS A WATER RESERVOIR TANK, AND CNSEQUENTLY EITHER ARE NOT SUFFICIENTLY DURABLE FOR AN ALLPURPOSE IRON OR ARE NOT CONVENIENT BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS ACCESSORY PARTS. CONVENTIONAL STEAM IRONS GENERALLY ARE TOO LARGE AND HEAVY FOR EFFECTIVE USE AS A TRAVEL IRON.   D R A W I N G

United States Patent O 3,718,997 STEAM-DRY RAVEL IRUN Willard G. Murphy, Macon, Mo., assignor to McGraw- Edison Company, Elgin, lll. Filed Jan. 11, 1971, Ser. No. 105,579 Int. Cl. Df 75 /34 U.S. Cl. 38-90 17 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE An electric steam-dry travel iron having no separable components that must be assembled or removed between storage and operating conditions either dry or with steam, particularly a low silhouette handle solid in appearance having a wide convexly crowned top wall and contoured side walls including an intermediate finger receiving troughs between enlarged upper grip rims and enlarged lower lips that protectively overlie the metallic casing of the iron, the handle actually being hollow and defining a water reservoir with a fill opening releasably closed by a closure cap hinged to the handle and with a rotatable steam selector knob mounted in the closure cap, the handle heel and iron casing being generally coplanar to provide a support for the iron in its non-operating upright position, and a 1l() or 220 voltage selection switch recessed in the handle heel.

With increased use of permanent press garments, there is an increasing demand for an all-purpose steam and/or dry iron which might be small and lightweight enough to serve as a touch-up travel iron. Travel irons typically have required collapsible portions such as the handle, or detachable portions such as a water reservoir tank, and consequently either are not sufficiently durable for an allpurpose iron or are not convenient because of numerous acccessory parts. Conventional steam irons generally are too large and heavy for effective use as a travel iron.

This invention relates to, and an object of this invention is to provide, an iron having a compact silhouette where the iron handle is solid in appearance with a slightly crowned wide top wall and opposing side walls depending therefrom toward the sole plate across enlarged upper rims, recessed intermediate troughs to enlarged lower flared lips, where the handle can be comfortable and safely gripped by the user.

Another object of this invention is to provide a compact iron where a water reservoir is formed within a hollow handle and where convenient filling means through a large opening is closed by a plastic cap hinged to the iron handle, and further where a steam control element is located in this closure cap.

Another object of this invention is to provide an iron which can be used with either 110 and/ or 220 Volt alternating current power sources for complete versatility as a travel iron, and further having a voltage selector switch recessed in the heel portion of the iron handle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a steam iron having easily assembled components particularly including a hollow handle that defines a water reservoir and also carries a control valve and selector knob therefor, while yet having a water outlet stem that can be assembled and sealed relative to the sole plate and a steam chamber therein.

These and other objects of this invention will be more fully understood and appreciated after referring to the following specification, the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject iron sho-wing for overall appreciation the general configuration thereof including the block configuration handle, water reservoir inlet opening, and closure cap;

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FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the iron' showing some of the more important details of construction;

FIG. 3 are elevational sectional views, each only of half of the iron as generally seen respectively from lines Srl- 3a and 3b-3b in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view as seen generally from line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional' view showing details of construction of the steam control valve element; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view as seen generally from line 6--6 in FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the disclosed iron 10 has a low silhouette including a sole plate 12, a protective casing 14 over the upper side of the sole plate, and a handle 16 of heat insulating material, such as a high impact plastic phenolic, over the casing. The handle 16 has a slightly crowned convex upper face 18 and has continuous side walls 2G extended therefrom toward the sole plate across enlarged flared upper grip rims 22, intermediate finger receiving troughs or recessed sections 23, and enlarged flared lower lips 24. The user grips the iron by placing the palm of the hand against the top handle: face 18 with the thumb in one side recess 23 pointing to the iron tip and the finger tips in the opposite side recess 23 with the first joint of each finger riding on the rim 22. The lips 24 project outwardly beyond the casing 14 and well away from the sole plate 12 to minimize chances the user might accidentally contact either heated component.

By design, the lower lip is approximately uniform in thickness or vertical height along the length of the iron while the upper rim 22 becomes fuller from almost nonexistent at the iron front to its fattest at the intermediate part of the iron and then narrows down again toward the rear of the iron. Moreover, the width of the top surface 18 and thus the span across the grip rims 22 increases from the iron front to almost the iron rear, while the top wall also slopes downwardly almost uniformly from the highest at the front of the iron to the iron rear. The intermediate recesses 23 therefore are widest at the iron front but become vertically narrower at the intermediate part of the iron; while the defining iron side walls also diverge from one another slightly overall from the iron front to the iron rear but at a lesser rate than the grip rims. This provides a wider cradling recess 23 at the iron front for the thumb and a narrower recess intermediate the iron for the fingers and even further provides the largest section of the grip rims at the intermediate part of the handle. Consequently, the users thumb is pointed toward the iron front and the users fingers lie crosswise to the crowned top surface with basically only the tips being received in the recess and the first joint of each finger lying on the rim.

The temperature is regulated by a knob 28| rotatably mounted in a recess in the upper handle face 18 and connected through a stem `30 to a thermostat 32. The thermostat can be of a conventional stacked bi-metal type which senses the ambient sole plate temperature and opens or closes a pair of contacts 34 and 315 connected in an appropriate electric circuit with the electric resistance heating elements 38 and 40. The heating elements 38` and 40 are typically U-shaped to traverse and uniformly heat the entire sole plate, each heating element having a pair of typical terminals 41 that are connected by typical conductors 42 in an appropriate electric circuit.

The disclosed iron handle has a relatively low and compact silhouette since the normal finger hole is eliminated. The handle is actually hollow and a water reservoir 46 is defined therein. Specifically, the handle is molded to provide a bottom open core 47 and a closure plate 48- with appropriate seal means is secured across the open core bottom to provide an enclosure. A till opening recess 50 in the top face of the handle communicates through circular bore 52 and openings 53 past web structure 54 to the enclosure, the area of the recess being sufficiently large to permit the direct filling from a faucet or direct pouring from a container if such is desired. A cap 56 fits within the handle recess and is formed from a separate plastic element that is stacked at 58 to a ledge of the handle adjacent the fill opening recess. The cap has a central lower cylindrical plug 60 that descends closely over the upper part of the circular bore 52 for generally closing the bore and thus the lill opening. The cap 56 isl connected by an integrally formed living hinge 62 to pivot between the closed position (FIG. 2) and the open filling position (FIG. l), and the front of the cap has a depending ange 64 with a locking tab 65 thereon which can be biased past a ledge 66 of the handle to maintain the cap .in the closed position. The cap is opened by pushing against the protruding flange to snap the tab past the body ledge and move the cap away from the opening by theliexure of the hinge 6'2, but the cap at all times is maintained fast to the body portion. When the cap is closed, 1t is basically iiush with the top face of the handle.

A'valve controlled passageway (FIGS. 2 and 5) is provided from the water reservoir 46 to a steam chamber 68 defined within the sole plate '12. Specifically, a tubular body 70 is secured against the closure plate 48 and defines a metering bore 72 that is open to both the steam chamber 68 and the waterreservoir 46. A valve member 74 is adapted to slide Within the tubular element and has a seat 76 that cooperates with the conical section of the tubular element for'opening and/or closing the orifice 72. A clean out pin 718 is carried by the Valve member and plunges the orifice when the valve is shifted between the open and closed positions to keep the orifice clean, the pin being lifted from the orifice when the valve opens so that Water is metered to the steam chamber. The steam chamber itself is defined by a cored recess being formed on the top side of the sole plate, with a plate 80 received over and closing the recess.

The upper end of the valve member is extended through an opening 82 in the web structure 54 and is bent over to form a transverse section 84 that engages a circumferential cam surface formed on the handle Within the bore 52. A spring 88 is confined between the lower part of the web 56 and a snap washer 90 secured to the valve member, the spring tending to bias the valve member against the cam surface in a direction that would close the valve unless restrained. The particular cooperation between the transverse element 84 and the cam surface 86 is such that in one extreme position rotatably on the cam surface, the valve is closed to separate the water reservoir 46 from the steam chamber 68; whereas the transverse portion rides up the cam surface 86 in moving to the opposite rotatable position to shift the valve member axially and open the water reservoir 46 to the steam chamber. A detent 92 is provided on the cam surface at the fully opened position of the valve to hold the valve in this steaming position. Appropriate ports or discharge vents 94 are located in the sole plate from the steam chamber to steam the garment during ironing, as is well known.

:I'he particular valve member 74 and orifice 72 are axially in line and below the inlet bore 52 to the water reservoir 46, and a manual steam selector knob 96 is provided in the closure cap 56 for shifting the valve member between the steam and dry positions. The control element 96 is mounted to rotate in the closure cap and has a lower stem 98 that has a cross open slot 100 that embraces and becomes keyed to the transverse portion 84 of the valve member so that rotation of the control knob rotates the valve member which causes the same to ridge on the cam surface to open and close the valve. A spring 102 is confined between a snap ring 104 on the stem and the closure cap 56 and permits free axial movement of the stern within the limits of the compression of the spring relative to the closure cap.

This thereby permits the knob to be separated above the cap (as shown in phantom in FIG. 2) if such is required should the cap be closed when the slot does not line up with the transverse section 84. When this happens the user need only rotate the knob until the slot lines up with and receives the valve element; and possible bending or even destruction of any of the components through mechanical interference is eliminated.

The sole plate 12 as noted above has a pair of heating elements 38 and 40 disposed therein, the two heating elements permitting operation under either or 220 line voltages. Ordinarily there is a series connection through both heating elements 38 and 40 and the thermostat contacts 34 and 35 for 220 volt operation; whereas when operation at 110 volts is desired a switch is closed to shunt one of the heating elements and have only the other heating element in the series circuit with the thermostat contacts. This circuit is not new, but an important factor in this invention is the particular mounting of the voltage selector switch 106 within an end opened recess 108 at the heel of the handle. Specifically, a plate 110 carrying thereon the switch 106 is adapted to be located against spaced handle ledges 112 within the recess and secured in place by bolt 114. A power cord 116 is brought through an opening in the side wall of the handle and the two power leads secured at terminals 118 and 120 on a lower wall of the handle. Appropriate conductors 42 can be connected in the proper circuit with the thermostat, switch and heating terminals, forming appropriate mountings at the handle terminals 118 and 120. Of real significance is the fact that the switch including even the actuator element 122 and the supporting plate 110 is recessed to be coplanar with the end of the handle and with the casing 14 to provide a heel part of the iron on which the iron can rest when not in use. Moreover, the particular mounting screw 114 for securing the removable plate 110 is covered and hidden by a snap plate 124 having end tabs 126 received in end openings in the cover plate for improved appearance.

Also of significance is the manner of assembly and holding together of the separate sole plate 12, casing 14 and handle 16 components. Specifically, a threaded hex bolt element 128 is engaged within an appropriate tap in the top side of the sole plate, the shoulder thereof bearing against and holding the steam chamber closure plate 80 in place. The enlarged hex head is received within an opening 130 of the casing, and a bolt 132 is extended through an opening in the handle body 16 and threaded into a tap in the element to hold the handle to the sole plate, and the casing 14 coniined therebetween. The thermostat is secured by bolt 134 to the sole plate, and the stem of the thermostat extends loosely through an aligned opening in the casing and a bore in the handle for keying connection to the knob 28. The tubular element 70 from the water reservoir 46 has an annular shoulder 135 near its free end and this confines a soft washer 136 against the steam chamber plate 80. The tubular element 70 even with the enlarged shoulder fits freely through an opening 138 in the casing to permit the ready assembly of the handle, casing and sole plate together. The conductors 42 from the thermostat 32 and heating element terminals 41 likewise iit through an opening 140 in the casing for appropriate connection to the handle terminals and switch.

What is claimed is:

1. A steam-dry travel iron, comprising the combination of a sole plate defining a steam chamber and means for heating the sole plate and steam chamber, a protective casing over the upper side of the sole plate, a handle of a heat insulating material over the upper side of the casing and secured to the sole plate and confining said casing therebetween, said handle having a bottom open recess and plate means closing the recess to define a water reservoir within the handle, the handle top wall opposite the sole plate having an opening therein to the reservoir and a cap for closing the opening including means hinging the cap to said handle top wall and cooperating detent means between the cap and handle releasably holding the cap closed, valve body means in the handle having a bore extended in general alignment with the handle top wall opening and communicating between the reservoir and the steam chamber, a valve member in the bore disposed to move axially thereof between open and closed positions of the bore, a spring normally biasing the valve member toward the closed position, a cam surface on the handle annularly of the top opening and adapted to be selectively engaged by the valve member to hold the valve member in bore open positions, a manual adjustment selector mounted to rotate within the closure cap, means to releasably key the selector to the valve member suitable to shift the valve member along the cam surface for opening and closing the bore as desired, detent means holding the valve member relative to the cam surface in the bore open position, and the handle having side walls formed continuously from the said handle top wall to close proximity of the casing and including enlarged flared grip portions disposed adjacent the handle top Wall, narrower relieved intermediate portions, and second enlarged ared portions disposed against and overlying the side edges of the casing whereby the tips of the fingers and the thumb of the user are disposed against the intermediate portions of the side wall confined by and between the enlarged ared portions.

2. An iron combination according to claim 1, wherein the valve member includes an axial portion and a transverse portion which overlies and engages the handle cam surface, and wherein the selector includes a generally elongated stem having a bottom edge disposed below the cap and when the cap is closed even below the transverse portion and having slot means therein receiving and confining the transverse portion of the valve member.

3. An iron combination according to claim 2, wherein the selector stem is received within an opening in the closure cap to move axially thereof, and wherein spring means between the selector stem and the cap normally biases the selector stem bottom edge away from the cap but which spring means permits the displacement of the selector stem bottom edge toward the cap should the transverse portion of the -valve member not be in receiving orientation with the stem slot means when the closure cap is being closed.

4. An iron combination according to claim 1, wherein the handle top wall and opposed side walls terminate along the rearward edges lying within a plane extended transverse to the sole plate and through the rear edge of the casing and defining thereby a heel stand for the iron, and the walls defining a rearwardly open recess, a plate generally complementary to the open end of the recess received over and closing the recess, means connecting said plate to the handle and across the recess, and a voltage selector switch mounted on the plate and disposed within the recess and having a switch actuating element exposed through an opening in the plate but located forwardly of the heel stand plane.

5. An iron combination according to claim 1, wherein the steam chamber includes a wall having an inlet opening, the valve body means extending from the reservoir dening plate means to the wall with the bore being exposed to the opening therein, the valve body means further having an annular shoulder adjacent and facing the wall, and annular resilient means confined between the Wall and shoulder sealingly communicating the bore with the inlet opening.

6. A steam-dry travel iron, comprising the combination of a sole plate defining a steam chamber andmeans for heating the sole plate and steam chamber, a protective casing over the upper side of the sole plate, a handle of a heat insulating material over the upper side of the casing and secured to the sole plate and confining said casing therebetween, said handle having a bottom open recess and plate means closing the recess to define a water reservoir within the handle, the handle having an opening therein to the reservoir .and a cap for closing the opening, valve body means in the handle having a bore communicating between the reservoir and the steam chamber, a valve member in the bore disposed to move between open and closed positions of the bore, a manual adjustment selector mounted in the handle suitable to shift the valve member for opening and closing the bore as desired, and the handle having side walls formed continuously from the said handle top wall to close proximity of the casing and including enlarged flared grip portions disposed adjacent the handle top wall, narrower relieved intermediate portions, and second enlarged flared portions disposed against and overlying the side edges of the casing whereby the tips of the ngers and the thumb of the user are disposed against the intermediate portions of the side wall confined by and between the enlarged flared portions.

7. An iron combination according to claim d, wherein the rear edges of the handle top wall and opposed side walls define a plane extended transverse to the sole plate and through the rear edge of the casing and the walls defining a rearwardly open recess, a plate received across and closing the recess and means connecting said plate to the handle across the recess, and a voltage selector switch mounted on the plate and disposed within the recess and having a switch actuating element exposed through an opening in the plate but located forwardly of said plane.

8. An iron combination according to claim 6i, wherein the steam chamber includes a wall having an inlet opening, the valve body means extending from the reservoir defining plate means to the wall with the bore being exposed to the opening therein, the valve body means further hafving an annular shoulder adjacent and facing the wall, and annular resilient means confined between the wall and shoulder sealingly communicating the bore with the inlet opening.

9. A travel iron, comprising the combination of a sole plate and means for heating the sole plate, a protective casing over the upper side of the sole plate, a handle of a heat insulating material over the upper side of the casing and secured to the sole plate and confining said casing therebetween, said handle having a convexly crowned top wall and side walls formed continuously from said top wall and extended therefrom to close proximity of the casing, said side walls being symmetrical front to rear of the sole plate and including enlarged flared grip portions disposed adjacent the top wall, narrower relieved intermediate portions, and second enlanged flared portions disposed against and overlying the side edges of the casing whereby either hand can be used to grip the iron with the tips of the fingers and the thumb of the user being disposed against the intermediate portions of the side Walls conned by and between the enlarged portions.

1t). An iron combination according to claim 9, wherein the top wall both slopes slightly toward the sole plate and increases slightly in width from the front of the iron toward the rear of the iron.

l1. A travel iron, comprising the combination of a sole plate and means for heating the sole plate, a protective casing over the upper side of the sole plate, a handle of a heat insulating material over the upper side of the casing and secured to the sole plate and confining said casing therebetween, said handle having a convexly crowned top wall and side walls formed continuously from said top wall and extended therefrom to close proximity of the casing and inciuding enlarged flared grip portions disposed adjacent the top wall, narrower relieved intermediate portions, second enlarged flared portions disposed against and overlying the side edges of the casing whereby the tips of the fingers and the thumb of the user are disposed against the intermediate portions of the side walls con-fined by and between the enlarged portions, wherein the handle is hollow and defines a water reservoir, the handle top wall opposite the sole plate having an opening therein to the reservoir, and a cap for closing the opening including means hinging the cap to said handle top Wall and cooperating detent means between the cap and handle releasably holding the cap closed.

12. An iron combination according to claim 11, wherein valve body means is provided in the handle having a bore extended in general alignment with the handle top wall opening and communicating exteriorly of the reservoir, a valve member in the bore disposed to move axially thereof between open and closed positions of the bore, a spring normally biasing the valve member toward the closed position, a cam surface on the handle annulanly of the top opening and adapted to be selectively engaged by the valve member to hold the valve member in bore open positions, a manual adjustment selector mounted to rotate within the closure cap, and means to releasably key the selector to the valve member suitable to shift the valve member along the cam surface for opening and closing the bore as desired.

13. A steam-dry travel iron, comprising the combination of a sole plate defining a steam chamber and means for heating the sole plate and steam chamber, a handle of heat insulating material over the upper side of and secured to the sole plate, said handle being hollow and deiining therein a water reservoir, the handle top wall opposite the sole plate having an opening therein to the reservoir and a cap for closing the opening including means hinging the cap to said handle top wall and cooperating detent means between the cap and handle releasably holding the cap closed, valve body means in the handle having a bore extended in general alignment with the handle top wall opening and cornmunicating between the reservoir and the steam chamber, a valve member in the bore disposed to move axially thereof between open and closed positions of the bore, a cam surface on the handle annularly of the top opening and adapted to be selectively engaged by the valve member to shift the valve member to various bore open and closed conditions, a manual adjustment selector mounted to rotate within the closure cap, and means to releasably key the selector to the valve member suitable to shift the valve member along the cam surface for oepning and closing the bore as desired.

14. An iron combination according to claim 113', wherein the valve member includes an axial portion and a transverse portion which overlies and engages the handle cam surface, and wherein the selector includes a generally elongated stem having a bottom edge disposed below the cap and when the cap is closed even below the transverse portion and in part rdeiines said releasable key means.

15. An iron combination according to claim 13, wherein the selector has a stem received within an opening in the `closure cap to move axially thereof, and wherein spring means between the selector stem and the cap normally biases the selector stem bottom edge away from the cap but which spring means permits the displacement of the selector stem bottom edge toward the cap should the releasable key means between the selector and the valve member not be in receiving orientation when the closure cap is being closed.

16. An iron combination according to claim 131, wherein the steam chamber includes a wall having an inlet opening, the valve body means extending from the reservoir defining plate means to the wall with the bore being exposed to the opening therein, the valve body means further having an annular shoulder adjacent and facing the wall, and annular resilient means confined between the wall and shoulder sealingly communicating the bore with the inlet opening.

17. A steam-dry travel iron, comprising the combination of a sole plate dening a steam chamber and means for heating the sole plate and steam chamber, a handle of heat insulating material over the upper side of and secured to the sole plate, said handle being hollow and defining therein a Water reservoir, the handle top wall opposite the sole plate having an opening therein to the reservoir and a cap for closing the opening including means hinging the cap to said handle top Wall, valve body means in the handle having a bore extended in general alignment with the handle top wall opening and communicating between the reservoir and the steam chamber, a valve member in the bore and a cam surface on the handle annularly of the top opening adapted to be selectively engaged by the valve member to shift the valve member to various bore open and closed conditions, a manual adjustment selector mounted to rotate within the closure cap and means to releasably key the selector to the valve member, and the handle having side walls formed continuously from said handle top wall to close proximity of the casing and including enlarged iiared grip portions disposed adjacent the handle top wall narrower relieved intermediate portions, and second enlarged portions iiared outwardly to almost the side edges of the sole plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,486,256 12/1969 Kapr et al. 38-90 2,333,521 11/1943 Clark et a1. n n-o--. 38--90 2,433,556 12/1947 'Hume 38-90 2,866,283 12/1958 Bricker 38-`77.83

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

